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20 Jan 2010 : Column 385W—continued
Barbara Follett: Discussions about the assessment of rateable values of petrol retail outlets between the Valuation Office Agency and industry representatives began in October 2007. The 2010 Petrol Valuation Scheme was developed during the period from then until draft individual valuations were published on 1 October 2009. Discussions with industry representatives and their agents are ongoing.
No information on the volume of forecourt petrol sales and levels of revenue from forecourt shops and car washes since 1 October 2009 has become available to Communities and Local Government. Further information has become available to the Valuation Office Agency as part of its ongoing discussions with industry representatives and, where relevant, will be taken into account in the final assessments of the rateable values of petrol retail outlets used for the purpose of calculating their non-domestic rates as from 1 April 2010.
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether trading conditions in the petrol retail trade since the last date used to assess the rateable value of petrol retail outlets for the purpose of calculating the business rate from 1 April 2010 have been taken into account in setting that rate. [311084]
Barbara Follett: The Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) for the revaluation due to come into force on 1 April 2010 is 1 April 2008. Changes in value after this date that are solely due to economic factors are not reflected in rateable values. However, physical changes to the property or its locality, which would have a material effect on the rental value of the property, can be taken into account.
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.
Non-domestic Rates: Homeworking
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether dwellings in which home working is undertaken are liable for business rates. [312001]
Barbara Follett: The nature, extent and frequency of any non-domestic use within a home will determine whether the homeworking is merely de minimis in the context of the dwelling, or whether the use is of sufficient scale and intensity as to warrant a separate rateable value. In the majority of cases the type and scale of use together with the domestic nature of a room and furniture will not result in rateability. Each case is treated on its own merits as explained in the VOA factsheet 'Working at or from home' accessible on the VOA website.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the fast track reviews of new rating assessments on port companies have begun; how many have been completed; and how many of these resulted in assessment reduction. [312093]
Barbara Follett: As at 18 January 2010, the fast track arrangements introduced by the Valuation Office Agency on 24 November 2008, have been applied to 799 proposals (appeals), of which 567 or 71 per cent. have been completed.
Of the 567 settled cases, 385 have been withdrawn or dismissed by independent valuation tribunal. The remaining 182 cases have been settled, either by agreement or by a decision of the valuation tribunal, resulting in a change to the rating assessment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which ports re-assessments of rate demands on newly-rated port businesses have resulted in wharves being taken out of the assessments; and if he will extend the re-assessment process to the port of (a) Grimsby, (b) Immingham and (c) Goole. [312094]
Barbara Follett: Within the ports of Hull and Southampton, the Valuation Office Agency has taken action under the fast track arrangements, which has resulted in some of the wharves which had been separately assessed under the ports review being merged back into the main port assessments from 1 April 2005. This is the result of new evidence becoming available which supports these changes.
The Valuation Office Agency continues to pursue resolution of these issues and keep ratepayers informed at other ports-this includes Grimsby, Immingham and Goole.
Where changes have not been made this is either because the facts do not support an alteration of the rating lists or the parties have not agreed the facts that may still prove material to any such decision.
Non-domestic Rates: Shops
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what method was used to assess the rateable value of a high street shop for the purposes of calculating the business rate to come into effect from 1 April 2010. [311052]
Barbara Follett:
High street shops have been valued by application of the rental comparative method of valuation using rates per square metre derived from
local rental evidence. It is widely accepted that this is the most suitable approach for the analysis and valuation of standard shop units.
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.
Non-domestic Rates: Supermarkets
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what formula was used to assess the rateable value of a supermarket convenience store for the purpose of calculating the new business rate for such a store from 1 April 2010. [311081]
Barbara Follett: Convenience stores have not been valued by formula; they have been valued by the rental comparative method.
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.
Paper
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 9 December 2009, Official Report, column 390W, on departmental electronic equipment, how much his Department spent on photocopier paper in the latest year for which figures are available. [311847]
Barbara Follett: During the 12 months ending December 2009 the Department has spent £88,289.68 on photocopier paper.
Parking: Fees and Charges
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much net revenue has been raised in local authority parking charges, fees and fines in (a) cash and (b) real terms based on 2010 prices in each year since 1997-98. [312005]
Barbara Follett: The net revenue income on total parking services in England in cash and real terms (at 2008-09 prices) in each year since 1997-98 is tabled as follows.
| £ million | ||
| Net revenue income on parking services | ||
| Cash value | Real terms (at 2008-09 prices) | |
| Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns from 1997-98 to 2008-09. | ||
Parking services includes both on-street and off-street parking services.
Net revenue income is defined here as income from sales, fees and charges (eg parking charges, penalty charge notice income) plus other (non-grant) income less the cost of running parking services including staffing costs.
From 2003-04 onwards the information is collected on a Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 17 basis. Comparison between FRS 17 and Non-FRS17 information may not be valid.
Public Sector
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's press release of 30 July 2009, on the Total Place initiative, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report conducted by Deloitte for the Leicester and Leicestershire Total Place pilot. [311517]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A copy of the Deloitte research report 'Measuring the Workload: Public Sector Performance Reporting and Inspection Regimes in Leicester' will be placed in the Library.
Regional Planning and Development
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role regional development agencies have in respect of regional spatial strategies; and what timetable has been set for the implementation of the provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 which relate to local planning. [311663]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Regional Planning Bodies are currently required to consult Regional Development Agencies before submitting a draft Regional Spatial Strategy to the Secretary of State. The planning elements of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 will commence on 1 April 2010.
Treasury
Budgets
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to make his next Budget Statement. [311706]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood) on 13 January, Official Report, column 1050W.
Council Tax
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of (a) providing a two year grant to local authorities worth 2.5 per cent. of council tax, on condition that those authorities do not increase council tax bills for those years and (b) providing ongoing compensation for local authorities for the resulting permanent reduction in their council tax receipts. [304448]
Mr. Byrne: It is estimated that it would cost £650 million in year one and £1,320 million in year two to reimburse each authority for the income forgone by not increasing their Band D council tax by 2.5 per cent. in each year.
These figures cover all local authorities, police authorities and fire and rescue authorities in England. Responsibility for council tax and other local authority matters in Scotland and Wales rests with the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government.
It is assumed that year one refers to the next full financial year (2010-11) and year two to 2011-12. This calculation assumes that local authorities freeze their council tax, and in year two are also compensated for the fact that their council tax base did not increase in year one. It is also assumed that reductions in tax receipts, compared to the case if this policy were not implemented, are completely offset by reductions in local authority self-financed expenditure.
(b) As authorities Band D council tax levels would have been higher in the absence of this policy it would be necessary to provide ongoing compensation, estimated at £1,320 million per annum, to leave authorities in the position in which they would otherwise have been.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year. [306076]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information relating to financial years prior to 2005-06 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For information on 2005-06 and 2006-07 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 27 March 2008, Official Report, column 384W.
The Treasury purchased one plasma screen television in 2008-09 at a cost of £2,430.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many iPODs have been bought by his Department since 2005; and at what cost. [311902]
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